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IBM launches the next big thing since Watson--The Magic Box--PureSystems

Today, IBM launched IBM PureSystems, a converged infrastructure architecture that combines server, storage, networking, and management technologies into a single integrated platform. (See official IBM PureSystems press release). If you work at an IT company, you know the pressure of "keeping a secret" about the greatest thing since sliced bread until your company officially makes the announcement to the public. Inside IBM, we've been talking about how awesome PureSystems is for awhile, and I already see the public responding in a similar fashion after our announcement today.

Joseph Kovar wrote a great CRN article, IBM Enters Converged Infrastructure Fray With PureSystems, detailing the significance of this announcement. I particularly like his article because Kovar doesn't stop at IBM; he looks at what this announcement means in relationship to IBM's competitors. For instance, he points out that Oracle and Cisco play in this space as well, but their solutions restrict your options to Oracle-only Software or Intel-based servers. A big differentiator for IBM here is that IBM clients have immediate choice since over a 150 apps (and growing) already work on PureSystems at the day of launch.

IBM teamed with more than 125 independent software vendors (ISVs) and over 500 systems integrators to offer these applications that are certified “PureSystems Ready.” A new online catalogue of ISV Patterns, PureSystems Centre, radically simplifies how applications are purchased, deployed and managed. For example, a customer relationship management program that used to take three days to deploy can now be deployed in under one hour. (See separate press release).

Kovar interviews IBM VP Mike Riegel, who explains that IBM expects customers to be able to significantly cut deployment time of their IT infrastructures: "A typical project deployment might require two to three months to procure the servers, storage, networking, and applications, followed by two to three week to integrate the hardware, and a few weeks to deploy the applications, he said. 'So it can take up to six months,' [Riegel] said. 'With PureSystems, just order it, and pick an ISV application from a catalog of business-to-business solutions. The app can be downloaded and deployed in four hours. So customers go from a six-month deployment to getting an integrated system in six to ten days, with applications ready to go in two weeks.'" Now that's sweet!

Inside IBM, we call PureSystems the "Magic Box" because it has everything you need in one easy-to-use package. In addition to the ISV ready to go apps, it has a set of IBM Patterns built in at the factory to automate time-consuming tasks such as configuring, deploying and upgrading applications -- applications that used to take days to deploy can now be rolled out in hours.

Also, with PureSystems, IBM is "taking the unprecedented step to completely
integrate all of the technology components needed to stand up a private
cloud system in minutes. By combining the virtualized servers, storage and networking found in PureSystems with cloud management software, IT organizations have a ready-to-go “cloud system in a box” -- giving them a foundational private cloud environment that can be expanded. The PureSystems cloud is delivered with built-in security, with no single point of failure.

To significantly accelerate the use of the cloud, IBM has included a cloud self-service and provisioning interface directly into PureSystems. An application developer, for example, can use the self-service feature to configure a cloud environment application without any help from the IT department. PureSystems will sense and respond to the needs of the running applications and services and make decisions on how best to deploy IT resources while ensuring maximum efficiency, performance, and control."

And to add the cherry on top, IBM Global Asset Recovery Services can buy back servers, including those
made by HP and Oracle, for clients migrating to IBM PureSystems.

A virtual broadcast of the launch will be made today at 2pm EDT. Usually, they post a replay here after the event as well. So check back if you missed the live announce.